Local Technology Reduces Pressure on NZ Landfills

A new locally made building product has been launched to try and reduce the 163,000 tonnes of concrete dumped in New Zealand landfills each year.

According to recent Ministry for the Environment statistics* building and construction waste makes up 17% of the 3.2 million tonnes of refuse dumped in New Zealand landfills annually.

Auckland company Cemix has developed a new product to provide an environmentally friendly option for home DIY Kiwis and tradesmen alike.

Cemix Envirocrete is a blended concrete mix which contains 50% recycled materials including; recycled concrete, fly ash (a post industrial by-product) and cement.

Managing Director of Cemix Bhav Dhillon says the new Envirocrete is a more sustainable concrete choice for home renovators without having to sacrifice performance.

Dhillon says the new recycled crushed concrete is a sustainable alternative to natural aggregates which means that consumption of non-renewable resources such as riverbeds and quarries can be reduced considerably.

“Any community that opts for this product will reduce their environmental footprint by cutting landfill volume and preserving non-renewable virgin aggregate.”

Dhillon says for every 1000 tonnes of Envirocrete produced there is a reduction on landfill volume by 500 tonnes and a further 500 tonne reduction on depletion of virgin natural non-renewable aggregate resource by the same amount.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful National Programmes Manager Mary Brown says “being a tiny country, with a very limited amount of land in close proximity to valuable agriculture and forestry areas means we don’t need to minimise as much waste from ending up in landfill as possible. Brilliant ideas such as this, shows a leading commitment to the longevity of our beautiful environment and is a huge step forward in ensuring we’re not wasting valuable resources that don’t need to be land filled.”


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Notes to Editors:
*Ministry for the Environment http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/gentle-footprints-may06/html/page8.html

*Conference Paper: Recycled Waste Concrete - European and North American Practice and its Applicability to New Zealand by Alan Kirby and Rob Gaimster CCANZ.

Cemix is a tried and trusted brand and has been manufacturing innovative construction products in New Zealand for over 25 years. Today Cemix is NZ's leading premixed concrete and mortar manufacturer having the widest range of bagged products available nationwide. Cemix is ISO 9001 quality accredited.